Biden's new energy rules must end an existential climate threat (Donald Trump)

In his first three years in office, Joe Biden has done more legislative, regulatory and diplomatic efforts to combat catastrophic climate change than any president in history. But Biden knows full well that much of that progress would quickly be reversed if Donald Trump, an avowed climate denier, becomes president again.

As the 2024 campaign against Trump begins in earnest, Biden is revising key energy and climate rules to make them more beneficial to middle-income consumers, businesses and, he hopes, voters in swing states . In doing so, he should create climate regulatory and tax policies that will be more sustainable for consumers and the economy in the long term, while helping him win a second term.

Overhauling rules regarding electric vehicle options is by far the most important climate and energy election issue facing Biden, one that could tip the election into a close result of a few thousand votes only in a few key states.

Last month, the administration wisely announced its decision to revise the EPA's overly strict proposed auto fuel efficiency and emissions standards, which would have effectively required that two-thirds of all new cars be fully electric by 2032, although today only about less than 10% of new cars are fully electric. The initial rules were out of step with actual purchasing and production, drawing attacks from Trump Republicans and some consumers. The adoption of electric vehicles, while rapid, has been somewhat slower than expected as GM, Ford and other automakers have reduced electric vehicle production from previously announced levels.

But when revising these standards, the administration must provide more options for transitional vehicles that provide consumers with greater range, convenience, and cost benefits to achieve the greatest policy benefit .

Plug-in hybrids, for example, are cheaper to buy than most fully electric EVs and directly address the “range anxiety” issue that concerns many car buyers, i.e. say the fear of running out of electric power on the road without a charging station nearby – since hybrid vehicles are equipped with backup gasoline engines. For many motorists, the new plug-ins can also operate for everyday commuting with rechargeable batteries, and therefore have much lower emissions than gasoline vehicles – almost as low as electric vehicles. In fact, a plug-in has just been announced as the greenest car in the United States.

And plug-in hybrids require fewer rare earth minerals than fully electric vehicles. This is a crucial question as the United States attempts to break free from its reliance on Chinese mining and processing of these minerals.

Both economically and politically, the White House should revise current fuel economy rules so that vehicles like plug-in hybrids can better qualify and consumers have more transition vehicle options during of the next decade. This action will be crucial in changing the popular and political discourse on the electric vehicle transition from banning all electric vehicles to Biden providing greater options to consumers. Such changes will help narrow the urban-rural cultural divide around electric vehicles and alleviate the negative narrative of an electric vehicle culture war fomented by Trump and other Republicans.

The Biden EPA also recently announced plans to regulate emissions from existing and new coal-fired power plants and new gas-fired power plants, but not from existing gas-fired power plants. This delay in regulating existing gas plants means they will not immediately be required to capture their carbon dioxide emissions until 2040, another prudent move, as such regulations would be deliberately misinterpreted by Republicans and misunderstood by voters before the election (and could in any event be subject to lawsuits and congressional review compromising their effectiveness). Managing regulations on existing gas plants after Biden wins a second term is a much more likely method of successfully reducing emissions by enacting regulations that will withstand parliamentary and legal challenges.

Finally, recent decisions by the Administration have generally favored existing climate and emissions models so that ethanol can continue to play a role in reducing automobile emissions in the United States, and in particular to enable ethanol used for sustainable aviation fuel to better benefit from significant tax credits. Although more decisions are still to come, Biden is expected to allow ethanol to continue to replace oil, while also benefiting transition states like Wisconsin and key Democratic farming districts in the Midwest and Corn Belt.

Some of Biden's recent actions have been more symbolic than political. The administration's highly questionable decision to suspend LNG export licenses was aimed squarely at the youth vote and vocal climate activists who threaten to publicly smear Biden's stellar climate credentials. Yet the Biden team has made mitigating methane emissions from U.S. natural gas a top priority; According to most analyses, American gas produces much lower emissions than its natural gas competitors like Russia, but also coal. Far-left activists have ignored this achievement, which will further reduce U.S. methane and greenhouse gas emissions in the years to come.

Assuming he is re-elected, Biden should continue to be even more aggressive in demanding methane reductions from industry, but then emphasize the role of reducing methane emissions in legitimizing new U.S. gas exports on the climatic terrain – a particularly important position in the gas-producing swing state of Pennsylvania.

Unfortunately, some Democrats have introduced legislation to prevent the export of U.S. natural gas to China, despite the fact that the alternative to U.S. gas is leaking higher methane gas from Vladimir Putin's Russia or coal Chinese, which has both higher carbon dioxide and methane emissions. . This ill-advised proposal would actually increase global emissions, not reduce them.

The alleged reason for this legislation is the false claim that U.S. domestic natural gas prices have increased in recent years as exports have increased. In fact, over the past two years, even as U.S. exports have helped free Europe from its reliance on Vladimir Putin's gas, domestic U.S. gas prices have remained low, with additional production volumes making the difference. .

More broadly, America's political and climate communities have yet to recognize the climate and energy change wisdom of Biden's pro-consumer election year. And of course, Trump's reactionary forces will wrongly attack Biden's thoughtful policies as symbols of culture war. But from a climate and economic perspective, Biden's efforts to address consumer and voter concerns are the most responsible path forward. And they are also crucial to ensuring that Donald Trump's scorched earth policies never return to the Oval Office again.

Paul Bledsoe is a senior lecturer at the Center for Environmental Policy at American University. He served as a staffer in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, an Interior Department official, and a member of the White House Climate Change Task Force under former President Bill Clinton.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/4534983-bidens-new-energy-rules-must-stop-an-existential-climate-threat-donald-trump/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos